I don't know much about technology and the only Apples in our home come from the grocery store ... but I know there are some things we can learn from Steve Jobs.
1. BELIEVE in your Agency
From what I have understood about him, Steve Jobs:
- was born to unmarried, graduate student parents who gave him up for adoption.
- was raised in a working class family.
- dropped out of college, after only one semester and never returned.
- was fired from the very company he founded
No privileged family 'set up' was handed to him. Plus he made some mistakes and had some bad luck. But somehow he found it in himself to make lemonade out of lemons. (Or in his case... apples out of lemons...) Rather than becoming bitter or dejected, Steve Jobs made the best out of what he had – then went on to create the kind of life he wanted, eventually becoming the CEO of one of the most valued companies in the world.
When you get stuck, fearful, disheartened or hurt... when life seems unfair, unlucky, overwhelming or scary... when you feel discouraged, angry, miserable or paralyzed... remember that you have it in you to be an agent in creating your own life. And.. if you cannot pull yourself up to create something on your own, then ask for help. See a therapist, a coach, a counselor or a wise friend. Do not sink and settle. Just don't.
2. Dream big and START MOVING
Before Apple’s rise in the last decade, Microsoft dominated the world of personal computers. Before iPod, mp3 players were known only as mp3 players. Before iTunes, it seemed pretty unlikely that anyone would pay for music online. Before iPhone, Nokia was the market leader for cell phones. Before iPad, there didn’t seem to be a need for tablet computers.
It would be difficult to have anticipated these shifts. There wasn't really a 'need' for them. But Steve Jobs moved ahead with his passion and big dreams. I remember reading an interview where Steve Jobs was asked "How do you figure out what people need before you invent it? Are you constantly doing surveys?" and he said something like "Nope. I invent it before they know they need it."
Get in touch with your passion and dream big and then take action. It doesn't matter if you make mistakes, you will learn from them and know to do it differently next time. If the problem for you is that you cannot find your passion and have no clue what you want to do.... and dreaming big seems unrealistic or downright ridiculous... and taking action with the potential for error seems foolish or overwhelming... ask for help. See a therapist or coach. It is difficult to move forward if you don't know where you're going.
3. Make lemonade
That old quip ... "when life gives you lemons...make lemonade"... is actually really good advice.
Steve Jobs seemed to have received his share of lemons. When he was publicly fired from Apple in 1985, he was written off by the industry as a "flash in the pan". What followed though, was an extraordinary process of self re-creation.
After losing the company he had built, he created a new company - NeXT. In 1996, in an ironic twist of events, Apple acquired NeXT. Steve Jobs stepped in as interim CEO in 1997, before being appointed as official CEO in 2000. Under his leadership, Apple was brought back from the brink of bankruptcy.
If you're reading this and thinking "well that might happen to Steve Jobs but it would never happen to me" then perhaps you are caught in a sort of victim mentality where things happen 'to' you instead of YOU being an agent in creating your own life. You can actually change that mindset if you want to. You can change how you think and that will change how you move through your day. You might be surprised at how much 'luckier' you become.
And... one more time... if you can't do it on your own... ask for assistance. Email me. I can help.